Para Sports Nutrition

E108 - Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport with Kristin Jonvik

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:53:03 +1100

Dr Kristin Jonvik is a Norwegian researcher and dietitian who has undertaken research into aspects relating to low energy availability and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) in para athletes. She also co-authored the chapter Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and disordered eating in the Routledge Handbook of Disability Sport Science, published early in 2026. Kristin talks to about what REDs is, how it impacts on athletes, what the process of assessing and diagnosing REDs is and how this can be complicated in para athletes due to interactions with their impairment.

For those interested in reading Dr Jonvik's research further, these are some relevant articles, together with those provided for episode 102:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35268044/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11061701/

https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(24)00248-X/fulltext

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41442093/

E107 Brain Nutrition with Nathan Delang

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 08:49:36 +1100

Dr Nathan Delang is a dietitian and the Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the Acquired Brain Injury in Children Group at the University of Queensland. Nathan talks to us about research into nutritional support of the brain during or after brain injuries, from concussion through to acquired brain injuries.

E106 Hydration with Sally Baumann

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:29:18 +1100

Sally Baumann is the senior sports dietitian working with Para athletes at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Sally co-authored (with Dr Michelle Minehan) the chapter on "Hydration monitoring and management in para sport" in the recently published Routledge Handbook of Disability Sport Science. Sally provides us practical tips and strategies to help athletes and sport scientists effectively assess and improve hydration in para athletes, including some useful questions to ask athletes to better understand their specific barriers to hydrating well.

E105 Dietary Supplements Pt 2 with Jill Parnell

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:15:15 +1100

Prof Jill Parnell is the Chair, Health and Physical Education at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada. Jill co-authored a chapter on "Navigating Supplement Use in Para Sport" in the recently published "The Routledge Handbook of Disability Sport Science" (https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Disability-Sport-Science/Griggs-Arnet-vanderSlikke-Flueck/p/book/9781032502656). Jill walks us through the supplements covered within the chapter, the considerations that athletes should take when assessing supplement use, and the decision tree that is included within the chapter.

E104 Para Equestrian with Julia Battams

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 10:12:09 +1000

Julia Battams is the head para equestrian coach for Australia, and the founder of the Equine Pathways Australia charity which supports the development of para equestrian riders across Australia. Julia tells us all about the sport of para equestrian, the nutrition challenges athletes face, and the pathways available to coaches to get involved in the sport.

E103 Para Judo with Elliot Stewart

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 11:43:33 +1100

Elliot Stewart won a silver medal in the 2020 Paralympic games for Judo, and has since begun a role as the National Para Lead for Judo Australia. Elliot tells us what Para Judo is, the demands of the sport, and his experience in progressing from being an able-bodied Judoka and coach into Para Judo with a newly acquired vision impairment. He has great advice for Judo coaches, athletes and support personnel.

E102 Energy expenditure and intake with Vera Weijer

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 02:50:06 +1100

Vera Weijer is a Dutch researcher who, together with Kristen Jonvik from Norway, undertook a research project regarding the energy expenditure and intake of Paralympic athletes. What is unique about this research is the number (70) and breadth of athletes studied (Norwegian and Dutch from a range of sports and impairment types), mostly at the elite level, and the range of techniques they've used in the study, including doubly labelled water. The details of their results can be found in these links:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38763462/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38694186/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38194704/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39587809/

E101 Hoda Elshorbagy wheelchair racer

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 16:06:48 +1100

Hoda Elshorbagy is an Egyptian wheelchair racer with polio. Hoda talks to us about her journey from a small Egyptian town with no pavement where there are no other wheelchair racers to training with the University of Illinois wheelchair racing group under the coaching of Adam Bleakney. She also discusses how she manages her nutrition priorities during Ramadan.

E100 Sports Medicine with Steve Reid

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 09:38:00 +1100

Dr Steve Reid is a sport and exercise physician and Chief Medical Officer of Paralympics Australia. Steve talks to us about how he got into working in sports medicine, and focuses on the medical issues that he sees most commonly in Para athletes and how nutrition inter-relates with them.

E99 Erin Popovich Para swimmer

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 09:31:00 +1100

Erin Popovich is a 3 time Paralympic swimmer with achondroplasia who won 14 gold medals and 5 silver medals, 2 ESPYs and numerous other accolades. Erin is currently the Director of Para Swimming for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and has held positions as the Classification Coordinator and program manager of other sports within the USOPC. Erin talks to us about her journey as a para swimmer, her transition into classification coordinator and what classification is about, and provides her insights into the current status and future of Para sports and athletes.

E98 Sean Pollard Para Snowboarder

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:35:00 +1100

Sean Pollard is an Australian para snowboarder who competed at the PyeongChang Paralympic games and, after taking a break, is back competing again. Sean is a bilateral arm amputee as a result of a shark attack when surfing. Sean talks to us about his journey into para snowboard, his training and how he's becoming more serious about his nutrition.

E97 Joshua Brunais and Jake Kaplan, CP Soccer

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +1100

Joshua Brunais and Jake Kaplan are CP Soccer players for Team USA. Josh and Jake talk to us about their impairments (aquired brain injury and cerebral palsy, respectively), how they got into playing CP soccer, their training and how they manage their nutrition and hydration to support their training.

E96 Sports Nutrition with Kate Davis

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 09:55:00 +1100

Kate Davis is the sports dietitian who has been working with the U.S. Mens' and Womens' Goalball programs since 2017. Kate talks to us about goalball, all the things she's learned by working with athletes with a visual impairment.

E95 Trinity Lowthian Wheelchair Fencer

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 08:45:00 +1100

Trinity Lowthian is a Canadian wheelchair fencer who is striving to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympic games. Trinity is also 'fed' and hydrated solely via intravenous nutrition. She talks to us about her impairment, why she cannot digest foods, and how she's worked towards finding a solution to enable her to train and compete at the best of her ability.

E94 Sports Nutrition with Raquel Teixeira

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:35:00 +1100

Raquel Teixeira is a sports nutritionist at FC Porto in Portugal who works with a number of athletes with impairments. Raquel talks to us about the work she does with athletes with an intellectual impairment, the challenges she faces in teaching them about nutrition, and the lessons she's learned in how best to get the key messages across.

E93 CP Soccer with Stuart Sharp and Daniel Wartner

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:37:00 +1000

Stuart Sharp is the senior director, Extended National Teams at USA Soccer and works alongside Daniel Wartner who is the physiologist and strength & conditioning coach. Stuart and Daniel tell us all about CP soccer (or football 7-a-side), how they interact with the players and adjust loads according to the degree the cerebral palsy or brain injury effects each player, and how they manage the individual nutrition needs during competition.

E92 Carbohydrate Needs for Athletes with Greg Cox

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 09:26:00 +1000

Dr Greg Cox is a sports dietitian and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University. Greg talks to us about his particular area of research interest, the carbohydrate needs of athletes, what influences this, and how important consuming sufficient carbohydrate is for optimising training, health, and ultimately performance.

E91 David Wagner Wheelchair Tennis

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 09:52:00 +1000

David Wagner is a wheelchair (quad division) tennis player and 5 time Paralympian. David talks to us about his journey as a quad tennis player, his impairment, his training and how he has built his nutrition strategies around the short times at home and long periods of travel.

E90 Oliver Lam-Watson Wheelchair Fencer

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:23:00 +1000

Oliver Lam-Watson is a wheelchair fencer who competed in Tokyo at his first Paralympic games, winning 2 medals. Oliver talks to us about his impairment, how he got into wheelchair fencing, what the sport of wheelchair fencing looks like, his training, the nutrition journey he's been on and what he's learnt, as well as how he monitors himself to ensure he optimises his training and adaptations / recovery.

E89 Keely Shaw Para Cyclist

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:12:00 +1000

Keely Shaw is a Paralympic Cyclist who medalled on the track in Tokyo 2020, and is also finishing a PhD in the area of nutrition. Keely talks to us about her impairment, how she got into para cycling, her training, and how she uses her nutrition to make her a better athlete. She also tells us about her masters and PhD work in the areas of nutrition and performance and how she balances training with being a full time grad student.

E88 Brian Siemann Wheelchair Racer

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:09:00 +1000

Brian Siemann is a 3 time Paralympian wheelchair racer. Brian talks to us about how he got into wheelchair racing, how he has worked on his nutrition over this time to support his training and manage his body composition, and how he monitors his training to ensure he optimises his health and performance capacity.

E87 The Gut and athletes with Ricardo Costa

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:45:00 +1000

Dr Ricardo Costa is a sports dietitian and the Associate Professor of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University. Ricardo talks to us about his research into the impact of exercise on gut function and gut-related symptoms, with a focus on how to assess this and what can be done to improve symptoms for athletes.

Some references include:

Martinez et al. 2023, The Effect of Gut Training and Feeding Challenge on Markers of Gastrointestinal Status in Response to Endurance Exercise: A Systematic Literature Review. Sports Medicine.

Gaskell et al. Gastrointestinal Assessment and Management Procedures for Exercise-Associated Gastrointestinal Symptoms. Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal.

Costa et al. 2022. Assessment of Exercise-Associated Gastrointestinal Perturbations in Research and Practical Settings: Methodological Concerns and Recommendations for Best Practice. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

E86 Bone health with Adam Tenforde

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 09:27:00 +1000

Dr Adam Tenforde is a sports medicine physician and Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Harvard Medical School. Adam specialises in bone stress injuries, and talks to us about bone health, how to assess bone density and bone stress injuries, and what factors athletes and coaches should focus on to ensure bone health is protected and optimised.

E85 Omega 3 Fatty Acids with Chris McGlory

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:28:00 +1000

Dr Chris McGlory is an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queens University in Canada. Chris talks to us about omega 3 fatty acids (aka fish oils), their role in health and in muscle for athletes.

E84 Mitch Valize Hand Cyclist

Thu, 25 May 2023 09:17:00 +1000

Mitch Valize is an H5 handcyclist who won both the time trial and road race on debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games. Mitch talks to us about how he got into hand cycling, his training, how he manages his nutrition and eating enough energy to support his training and racing, and how he monitors his body to ensure he's adapting effectively to his training.

E83 Jessica Heims Para Athletics

Thu, 18 May 2023 09:43:00 +1000

Jessica Heims is a 2 time paralympic discus thrower and previous world record holder. Jess talks to us about her impairment, her training, how her nutrition has changed to help improve her strength as a thrower and the challenges and benefits she's experienced when increasing her energy intake for this.

E82 Performance recovery and optimisation with Jamie Stanley

Thu, 11 May 2023 09:17:00 +1000

Dr Jamie Stanley is the senior sport physiologist working with the Australian para cycling team. Jamie talks to us about the work he does in conjunction with athletes and coaches to optimise performance through monitoring how the body adapts to training and recovery practices in order to produce the best performances within any individual.

E81 Mental Performance with Sommer Christie

Thu, 04 May 2023 09:39:00 +1000

Dr Sommer Christie is a mental performance consultant with the Canadian wheelchair rugby team. Sommer explains to us how a mental performance consultant (or sport psychologist) can help athletes improve their mental approach to training and performance, and how they interact with coaches and other performance support personnel to create the most productive environments for athletes to thrive.

E80 Sports Nutrition with Miriam Van Reijin

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:21:00 +1000

Dr Miriam van Reijin is a sports nutritionist working with the Dutch wheelchair tennis and ski / snowboard programs. Miriam talks to us about her approach to working out the nutritional needs of her athletes and improving their intakes to better support training and competition.

E79 Physique Assessment with Gary Slater

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:30:00 +1000

Dr Gary Slater is an associate professor in Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the National Nutrition lead for the Australian Institute of Sport. Gary talks to us about physique (or body composition) assessment of athletes - why it might be undertaken, what methods are best to use and for what purpose, when it might be appropriate to undertake and some precautions practitioners, athletes and coaches may want to consider.

E78 Dietary Supplements with Jill Parnell

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 09:13:00 +1000

Dr Jill Parnell is a Canadian researcher who has investigated dietary supplement use and nutrition knowledge of paralympic athletes. Jill explains what we mean by dietary supplements, tells us why we would study dietary supplement use, what para athletes and coaches need to consider before deciding to take a supplement, and sources of useful information about dietary supplements.

E77 Sports Nutrition with Rob van der Werf

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:54:00 +1000

Rob van der Werf is a sports dietitian who works with the Dutch para cycling and swimming programs. Rob talks to us about some of his experiences in working with para athletes, how that's different to working with able-bodied athletes, some of the research they've done on energy requirements of para cyclists, and the opportunities for young sports dietitians / nutritionists coming into para sports.

E76 Josh Pauls Para Ice Hockey player

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:15:00 +1100

Josh Pauls is a 4 time Paralympic gold medallist with the Team USA Para Ice Hockey program. Josh talks to us about how he got into playing ice hockey, his impairment, his training and the work he's done on improving his nutrition to support his performance.

E75 Diede de Groot Wheelchair Tennis player

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:12:00 +1100

Diede de Groot is the world number 1 in wheelchair tennis singles and doubles who won the Gold medal in both events at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games, as well as winning the Golden Slam in 2021. Diede talks to us about her impairment, how she got into playing wheelchair tennis, her training and how she manages her nutrition through all the travel she does each year to compete.

E74 Joengmin Lee Para rower and nordic skier

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 09:34:00 +1100

Jeongmin Lee was a South Korean para rower and nordic skier who competed in the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic games. Having completed his PhD, Jeongmin now works as a researcher for the Korean Paralympic Committee. We talk to Jeongmin about his journey through paralympic sport.

E73 Kevin Mather Para Archer

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 10:03:00 +1100

Kevin Mather is a Paralympic Archer and gold medalist from Tokyo. Kevin talks to us about his background in multiple sports (ironman triathlon, alpine skiing), his impairment, how he got into para archery and the discipline he brings into being a professional athlete.

E72 Greg Smith Strength & Conditioning

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 09:22:00 +1100

Greg Smith, OAM, is a 5 time Paralympian and multiple medalist across two sports (wheelchair racing and wheelchair rugby), who is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the Australian wheelchair rugby team. Greg tells us about how he got into coaching, his journey as an athlete, and how para sport has changed over the past 30 years.

E71 Andrew Kurka Alpine Sit Skier

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 09:28:00 +1100

Andrew Kurka is a 3 time paralympic alpine sit skier who won gold in the Downhill and silver in the Super G at the PyeongChang paralympic games. Andrew talks to us about his spinal cord injury, how he got into sit skiing, how a sit ski operates, the things he focuses on with his diet and how he modifies his diet when he's recovering from injuries.

E70 Para Ice Hockey with David Hoff

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 09:09:00 +1100

David Hoff is the National Para Ice hockey coach for Team USA, who have won gold at the last 4 Paralympic Winter games. David tells us about the sport of para ice hockey, monitoring athletes' ability to manage training loads, and the primary nutritional concerns.

E69 Para Swimming with Nathan Doyle

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:50:00 +1100

Nathan Doyle is a para swim coach who has coached numerous Australians to medal at the Paralympic and Commonwealth Games. Nathan describes para swimming to us and provides some insights into how he manages his training programs to cater for a wide range of impairment types.

E68 Melissa Tapper Table Tennis player

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 09:54:00 +1100

Melissa (Milly) Tapper is a 3 time Paralympic and 2 time Olympic table tennis player, and sliver medallist from the Tokyo Paralympic games. Milly talks to us about her impairment, how she got into playing table tennis, her training and nutrition, and how she monitors her response to training and recovery.

E67 Physiology with Melissa Lacroix

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:41:58 +1100

Melissa Lacroix is the lead physiologist for the Canadian Sports Institute Ontario and the lead physiologist with the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby team. Melissa talks to us about the work she does with para sports and provides advice on some simple monitoring tools that athletes and coaches can use to assess the effectiveness of training and recovery.

E66 Chris Wilkins Para Cyclist

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 09:57:00 +1100

Chris Wilkins is a young British para cyclist with a vision impairment. Chris talks to us about his vision impairment, how he transitioned into para cycling, his training and nutrition, and the adaptations he's making to enable him to compete at a higher level.

E65 Para Triathlon with Carolyn Murray

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 09:16:00 +1100

Carolyn Murray is the Head Para Triathlon coach for team Canada. Carolyn talks to us about how she got into coaching para triathlon, what para triathlon is, some of the training and nutrition challenges, and what she's learnt along the way.

E64 Chris Bond Wheelchair Rugby player

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 10:12:00 +1100

Chris Bond, OAM, is a 3 time Paralympic wheelchair rugby player and quadruple amputee. Chris talks to us about his impairment, his training and nutrition for wheelchair rugby, and provides great advice on keeping your sports nutrition simple but effective.

E63 Katie Holloway Bridge Sit Volleyball player

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 09:26:00 +1100

Katie Holloway Bridge is a 4 time Paralympic sit volleyball medallist and leg amputee. Katie talks to us about her journey from collegiate basketball player to elite sit volleyball player, how she manages her training and nutrition together with full time work, and her first time pregnancy.

E62 Lindsey Zurbrugg Wheelchair Basketballer

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 13:19:01 +1100

Lindsey Zurbrugg is a wheelchair basketball player who was part of the bronze medal winning team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Lindsey talks to us about her impairment which she acquired at age 13, her journey as a basketball player and university student, and her proactive approach to her sports nutrition.

E61 Steve Emt Wheelchair Curler

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 09:52:00 +1100

Steve Emt is a 2 time winter Paralympian in the sport of wheelchair curling. Steve talks to us about his background, his impairment, how he got into wheelchair curling, his training and nutrition, and the purpose behind his book "You Decide".

E60 Alcohol and sport with Chris Irwin

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 09:06:00 +1100

Dr Chris Irwin is an accredited dietitian, lecturer and researcher at Griffith University on the Gold Coast of Australia. Chris talks to us about alcohol, what it does and how it may impact athletes, providing some sound advice about the appropriate consumption of alcohol.

E59 Chris Murphy Para Cyclist

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 09:36:00 +1100

Chris Murphy is a 2 time Paralympic cyclist (C5 category) with Erb's Palsy. Chris talks to us about his transition from being a professional musician to Para cyclist and the process he's going through to specialise in the 1km time trial on the velodrome.

E58 Wheelchair Rugby with Jim Murdock

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 09:59:00 +1100

Jim Murdock has been the athletic trainer and medical coordinator for Team USA wheelchair rugby for nearly 20 years. Jim talks to us about the sport of wheelchair rugby, the work that he does as athletic trainer and medical coordinator, and what he's learn about working with para athletes.

E57 Ryan Pinney Hand Cyclist

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 09:53:00 +1100

Ryan Pinney is a hand cyclist and medalist in the handcycle relay at the Tokyo Paralympics. Ryan talks to us about his spinal cord injury, how he got into para cycling, his training and nutrition, and his recent shoulder injury and how he managed his recovery.

E56 Wheelchair Curling with Rusty Schieber

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:59:00 +1100

Rusty (Russell) Schieber is the national wheelchair curling coach for Team USA. Rusty tells us all about wheelchair curling and the things he's learnt as a coach over the past 14 years.

E55 Matt Levy Para Swimmer

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 09:57:00 +1100

Matt Levy, OAM, is a recently retired 5 time Paralympic swimmer, medalist and author with both cerebral palsy and a vision impairment. Matt talks to us about his swimming, training, nutrition and how he balanced this with schooling, university and work over his 20 year career.

E54 Bobbi Kelly Guide

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 10:10:00 +1100

Bobbi Kelly was the guide for Mel Perrine (para alpine skier, E51) for 4 years leading in to the Beijing Winter Paralympics. Bobbi explains her background, the role of a guide, and the work she did with Mel to create a strong partnership.

E53 Hailey Danz ParaTriathlete

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 09:37:00 +1100

Hailey Danz is a dual silver Paralympic medalist in Para Triathlon. Hailey, who is an above knee amputee, talks to us about the changes she made in her bike setup and running prosthesis between Rio and Tokyo Paralympic games, as well as her training and nutrition.

E52 Para Cycling with Mike Durner

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:28:00 +1100

Mike Durner has been a Team USA Para Cycling coach for over 12 years. Mike talks to us about what the sport of para cycling is, the different disciplines and bikes, the changes he's seen over time in the sport and the various aspects his coaching role requires of him.

E51 Melissa Perrine Para Alpine Skier

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 15:18:54 +1100

Melissa Perrine is a 4 time Paralympic alpine skier with a vision impairment. Mel is a multiple medalist at Paralympic games and world championships. We talk to Mel about her vision impairment, and how she juggled training with her university studies which have lead to hear qualification as a Physiotherapist. Mel also discusses her experience with changing epilepsy medication and the impact that had on her ability to fully express the work she'd done in training and with nutrition.

E50 Sports physiotherapy / medicine with Amber Donaldson

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 10:05:00 +1000

Dr Amber Donaldson is a sports physiotherapist (physical therapist), Vice President of Sports Medicine at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and has been the medical director for Team USA at numerous summer and winter Paralympic Games. Amber tells us about common health and injury issues she manages with Para athletes both in their daily training environment as well as at major competitions.

E49 Vitamin D with Dan Owens

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:16:00 +1000

Dr Daniel Owens is an exercise physiologist and researcher at Liverpool John Moores University who has undertaken numerous research projects looking at Vitamin D and athletes. Dan talks to us about what Vitamin D is, why it's important for athletes, where we get it from and what's considered to be enough.

E48 Steven Lovelace Para Triathlete

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:05:00 +1000

Steven Lovelace is one of the first documented athletes with a physical impairment to compete in Triathlons in the USA, starting in the mid 1980's. Steven talks to us about his experience in the early days of triathlon before Para Triathlon itself was a recognised discipline, and his experiences throughout his years of competing in sport.

E47 Wheelchair Basketball with Stephanie Wheeler

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 10:02:00 +1000

Stephanie Wheeler is the womens wheelchair basketball coach at the University of Illinois, and was the head women's national team coach when the USA women's team won gold at the Rio Paralympic games. Stephanie explains wheelchair basketball to us, about her journey as an athlete then coach, and about the physical and nutrition demands of the sport.

E46 Kathryn Ross Para Rower

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 09:56:00 +1000

Kathryn (Kat) Ross is a 4 time paralympic rower and silver medalist. Kat talks to us about her impairment, her career as a para rower, and how she juggles her training with her work as a full time emergency department nurse.

E45 Kendall Gretsch Para Triathlete and Nordic Skier

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 08:54:00 +1000

Kendall Gretsch is both a Para triathlete and nordic skier who has won multiple medals at both summer and winter paralympic games. Kendall talks to us about her impairment of spina bifida, and how she balances the demands of two different sports the see her training and competing all year around.

E44 Low Energy Availability with Claudia Juzwiak

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 09:52:00 +1000

Professor Claudia Juzwiak is a sports nutritionist, educator and researcher at the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo who has worked with the Para Track & Field athletes in Brazil. Claudia talks to us about low energy availability and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) - how to assess it, its impact on athletes and potential causes.

E43 Carol Cooke Para Cyclist

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 09:58:00 +1000

Carol Cooke, AM, is a 3 time Paralympic cyclist, multiple world champion and Paralympic medalist. Carol has multiple sclerosis and competes on a trike. Carol talks to us about her history as an athlete, how her sport has changed over the years, and what her training and nutrition looks like.

E42 Sam Gardner Strength & Conditioning Coach

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:01:00 +1000

Sam Gardner is the senior Strength & Conditioning coach for U.S. Paralympics at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Sam talks to us about his journey as an S&C coach, how he works with para athletes, and the lessons he's learnt along the way.

E41 Para Table Tennis with Alois Rosario

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 09:21:00 +1000

Alois Rosario is the head Para Table Tennis coach for Australia. Alois explains what Para Table Tennis is, the physical demands of the sport, and how to get involved as a coach.

E40 Liz Broad, Sports Dietitian

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 09:28:00 +1000

In this special episode, the PSN podcast host, Dr Liz Broad, is interviewed by Dr Laurent Bannock for his "We Do Science" podcast. Laurent agreed in advance to allow the podcast to be shared on both platforms. Liz has been a sports dietitian for nearly 30 years and specialised in working with Para athletes for the last 12 years. She is the editor of the book "Sports Nutrition for Paralympic Athletes" which is in its 2nd edition.

E39 Daniel Michel Boccia

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 09:30:00 +1000

Daniel Michel is a 2 time Paralympic Boccia player who won bronze in Tokyo 2020 and has spinal muscular atrophy. Daniel talks to us about how he got into playing boccia and how he manages his training and nutrition.

E38 Para Snowboard with Mike Jennings

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 10:05:00 +1000

Mike Jennings is a Para Snowboard coach with Team USA. Mike talks to us about his somewhat unusual journey into coaching Para Snowboard, the physical demands of the sport, and the common nutrition issues snowboarders face.

E37 Para Nordic Ski with Eileen Carey

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:46:00 +1000

Eileen Carey is the High Performance Director of Para Nordic Ski for Team USA, and previously the head coach. The program won 16 medals in PyeongChang and 14 medals most recently in Beijing. Eileen talks to us about the sport of Para Nordic Ski (cross country and biathlon) and what she's learnt as a coach.

E36 Cody Jung Para Cyclist

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 09:58:00 +1000

Cody Jung is a C4 Para Cyclist who has cerebral palsy, and who eats a vegan diet. Cody competed in the road cycling competition at the Tokyo Paralympics, placing 4th in the time trial and 16th in the road race. We talk to Cody about his impairment, his journey in para cycling, and his choice to eat a vegan diet.

E35 Jacque Scaramella Sports Dietitian

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 09:50:00 +1000

Jacque Scaramella is a US Sports Dietitian who works with the national Sit Volleyball, Para Ice Hockey (Sled Hockey) and Para Archery programs. Jacque shares with us her key focus points with each program and how she's developed their sports nutrition capacity over the years.

E34 Noah Elliott Para Snowboarder

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 09:54:00 +1000

Noah Elliott is a 2 time Paralympian in the sport of Snowboard, and is a single leg amputee. Noah won a gold and bronze medal on debut in PyeongChang and came 4th and 6th in Beijing despite a major injury on his residual limb. Noah talks to us about his journey into snowboarding and what he's learnt in the process.

E33 Managing Heat with Ben Stephenson

Thu, 26 May 2022 09:23:00 +1000

Dr Ben Stephenson is the physiologist for GB Para Triathlon who undertook his PhD research at the Peter Harrison Center for Disability Sport / Loughborough University on the impact of exercising in the heat on body temperature in para athletes. Ben shares his learnings as to why para triathletes are at higher risk of heat-related issues and how they can best prevent or minimise the impact of heat on performance.

E32 Para Rowing with Gordon Marcks

Thu, 19 May 2022 10:03:00 +1000

Gordon Marcks has been the national para rowing coach for Australia for the past 10 years. Gordon explains what para rowing is, the impairments eligible to compete, the training and nutrition challenges they face and how new athletes and coaches can get involved.

E31 Katie Kelly Para Triathlete

Thu, 12 May 2022 09:45:00 +1000

Katie Kelly is a Para triathlete with Ushers syndrome (an impairment of both vision and hearing) who won gold in Rio and was 6th in Tokyo. Katie started competing in para triathlon in her late 30's. Katie talks to us about the sport of para triathlon, her impairment, and her experience in becoming an elite athlete at a relatively late age.

E30 Para Canoe/Kayak with Shaun Caven

Thu, 05 May 2022 10:06:00 +1000

Shaun Caven is the National Para Canoe / kayak coach for Australia, having previously coached in the US and UK. Shaun describes the sport of para canoe / kayak, the physiological and physical demands, and how new athletes and coaches can get started in this sport.

E29 Iron with Peter Peeling

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 20:54:53 +1000

Professor Peter Peeling is a sports physiologist at the Western Australian Institute of Sport and researcher at the University of Western Australia. Peter has devoted much of his research time to iron metabolism in athletes, which is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies particularly in female athletes. We talk to Pete about the role of iron, what happens when athletes are deficient in iron, how to diagnose and treat iron deficiency, and why some para athletes may be more at risk of iron deficiency.

E28 Siobhan Crawshay Sports Nutrition Wheelchair Rugby

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 17:23:05 +1000

Siobhan Crawshay is the sports dietitian for Paralympics Australia, and specifically has worked with the Australian wheelchair rugby team (Steelers) for the past 11 years. Siobhan (Vorny) provides some fabulous insight into the key nutrition issues she covers with the wheelchair rugby players and the strategies she's used to support them.

E27 Steve Serio Wheelchair Basketballer

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 09:59:00 +1100

Steve Serio is a 4 time Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball player, and the co-captain of the USA Mens Wheelchair Basketball team who have won Gold at the last 2 Paralympic games. We talk to Steve about his history, how he got into playing Wheelchair Basketball, his training and how he fits his nutrition around his training.

E26 Sit Volleyball with Bill Hamiter and Michelle Goodall

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 09:47:00 +1100

Bill Hamiter is the USA Womens National Sit Volleyball head coach and high performance director, and Michelle Goodall is the assistant coach to the same team. The US Women's team has won Gold at the last 2 Paralympic games under their guidance. Bill and Michelle talk to us about the game of Sit Volleyball, the physical demands of the sport, common nutrition concerns and provide advice to potential athletes and coaches.

E25 Iryna Dvoskina Para Athletics Coach

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:59:00 +1100

Iryna Dvoskina is a 7 time Paralympic athletics (track sprint and jumps) coach. Iryna started her coaching career in the early 90's in the Ukraine and moved to Australia in the early 2000's. She has coached a wide range of highly successful Paralympic sprinters and jumpers across many different impairments. Iryna talks about her coaching framework and philosophies, the benefits of balance to ensure long term health and wellbeing, and the importance of mentoring when working with athletes with an impairment.

E24 Lex Gillette Long Jumper

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 09:56:00 +1100

Lex Gillette is a 5 time Paralympic silver medallist, 4 time world champion and current world record holder in the F11 class for Long Jump. He has been completely vision impaired since the age of 9. Lex talks about his training, his diet, and how he uses artificial intelligence and smart phones to help him navigate life.

E23 Ellie Cole Paralympic Swimmer

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 09:28:00 +1100

Ellie Cole, OAM, is a 4 time Paralympic Swimmer who has won 17 medals and is the most decorated female swimmer in Australia. Ellie was one of the athletes showcased on the Rising Pheonix documentary and is an active member of the #WeThe15 movement. Ellie shares with us some insights into her 17 year journey as a national level swimmer, how she's learnt to adjust her intake according to her training demands, and the importance of developing good working relationships with various practitioners who support athletes.

E22 Joelle Flueck Sports Nutritionist

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 09:53:00 +1100

Dr Joelle Flueck is a sports nutritionist in Switzerland who has spent over 10 years working with, and undertaking research into, athletes with a spinal cord injury. Joelle has recently written several narrative reviews on carbohydrate and protein needs for athletes with a spinal cord injury, as well as nutrition needs for para cycling. Joelle provides her insights into what she's learnt from working with para athletes and on some of the research she has undertaken.

E21 Jacob Schrom Powerlifter

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 09:24:00 +1100

Jacob Schrom is a single above knee amputee who competed in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in the 107kg Powerlifting weight division after 12 years competing in the sport. Jake shares with us his journey in powerlifting, highlighting the role that accessing sports performance specialists had on his ability to compete at his best.

E20 Curtis McGrath Para Canoeist

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 10:03:00 +1100

Curtis McGrath, OAM, is a 2 time paralympic canoe/kayak paddler who has won 3 gold medals. Curtis talks to us about his injury and impairment, his training and diet as a canoe / kayak paddler, and provides some great insight into the energy needs of a double leg amputee.

E19 Para Powerlifting with Mary Hodge

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 09:44:00 +1100

Mary Hodge is the High Performance Manager for U.S. Para Powerlifting and has worked with powerlifting for over 20 years, being involved in 6 Paralympic games. Mary describes the sport of Powerlifting, the training requirements, and rules of competition.

E18 Brooke Lamphere Sport Psychologist

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 10:29:00 +1100

Dr Brooke Lamphere is a US-based sport psychologist who recently completed her PhD dissertation around social influences on body image of female Paralympic athletes. We talk about her work as a sport psychologist with Para athletes, her research, what it uncovered and what recommendations come out of that.

E17 Danni Di Toro Paralympian

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 10:25:00 +1100

Danni Di Toro is a 7 time paralympian with a spinal cord injury who has competed in both wheelchair tennis and, more recently, para table tennis. Danni was co-captain of the Australian Paralympic team at both Rio and Tokyo Paralympic Games, and is currently the Paralympics Australia athlete welfare and engagement manager. Danni shares with us her extensive experience as an athlete, mental health advocate and team mate.

E16 Anu Koivisto Sports Dietitian

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 09:12:00 +1100

Anu Koivisto is a 2 time Olympic swimmer for Finland who has worked for a number of years as a sports dietitian at the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Olympiatoppen. Anu is responsible for working with both Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Anu talks to us about her approach to working with Para athletes, some of the specific issues that have arisen through their medical screening and some solutions they've found.

E15 Bridie Kean Wheelchair Basketball

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 10:25:00 +1100

Dr Bridie Kean is a 2 time Paralympian in wheelchair basketball for Australia. She has also completed a PhD looking at barriers and facilitators to playing wheelchair basketball in a collegiate / university setting. We talk to Bridie about her nutrition journey as an athlete with coeliac disease, the findings of her PhD, and her more recent experiences in being a member of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic / Paralympic bid.

E14 Gustavo Osorio Strength and Conditioning Coach

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 09:31:00 +1100

Gustavo Osorio (aka Goose) is a strength & conditioning coach who works at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and is based at the Chula Vista training centre in San Diego. He talks to us about how he approaches programming for the Track & Field athletes.

E13 Sleep with Peta Maloney

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 09:43:00 +1100

Dr Peta Maloney is an Australian sports physiologist and recovery specialist who has works with Para athletes. Peta talks to us about the importance of sleep for athletes, why para athletes may have difficulty with sleeping consistently, and what strategies can be used to help develop better sleeping patterns to support sports performance.

E12 Sally Baumann Sports Dietitian

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 18:31:00 +1100

Sally Baumann is the lead sports dietitian for the U.S. Paralympic programs and has been working with para athletes for the past 2.5 years. In the first of a series of interviews with sports dietitians, we talk to Sally about how she goes about working with para athletes and how this might be different to working with other athletes.

E11 Meg Lemon Para cyclist

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 09:39:00 +1100

Meg Lemon is a WC4 para cyclist with an acquired brain injury who recently won a bronze medal in the time trial at the Tokyo Paralympics. Meg is also a sports dietitian. Meg talks to us about her impairment and how it affects her, the nutrition challenges she has faced and the ways she is working on overcoming those challenges.

E10 Sophia Herzog Para Swimmer

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 09:55:00 +1100

Sophia Herzog is a 2 time Paralympic medal winning swimmer with short stature. Sophia talks about her career in swimming and her experiences with changing training programs. She also explains how a change in body weight (increased muscle mass) through training did not suit her in the pool.

E9 Adam Bleakney Wheelchair Racing coach

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 09:40:00 +1100

Adam Bleakney is a 4 time Paralympic wheelchair racer and the head wheelchair track and marathon racing coach at the University of Illinois, the most consistently successful program in the world. Adam shares his transition from being an athlete to a coach, how he manages a program involving collegiate through to elite level athletes, and his insight into what has shaped such a truly successful program.